Carroll Davis Strider, Sr., 92, of Tryon, N.C., earned his heavenly reward on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, into the arms of his Lord.

Carroll was born in Asheville, N.C., and grew up in Hendersonville, N.C. He was the son of the late William Ernest Strider and Mattie Davis Strider. He graduated Hendersonville High School in June 1942 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in July 1942. After seeing action in the South Pacific, in 1946 he entered N.C. State University, graduating with a B.S. in general engineering. Having been designated a distinguished military graduate from ROTC, he accepted a regular commission in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1950, rising to the rank of colonel in 1968. Carroll met and married the love of his life, Sybil Cashwell of Durham, in 1947. In 1954 he attended MIT and Harvard University, receiving his M.S. in civil engineering from Harvard in 1955. He served in Korea for 16 months after the war and in Vietnam as commander of the 65^th Engineer Battalion and division engineer of the 25^th Infantry Division. Colonel Strider was district engineer for the Philadelphia District from 1971 to 1973.

Colonel Strider retired from military service of 30 years in July 1974, to an apple farm in Edneyville, N.C. He and Sybil continued to be active servants of the Lord throughout their married life in military service and then into retirement. Carroll’s life goal, which he stated he could never reach, was to be like Jesus. He touched many a life for his Lord, giving all the praise, honor and glory to Him.

Surviving is his wife of 67 years, Sybil Cashwell Strider of the home, one son, Harry Strider, Tryon, N.C.; one daughter, Linda S. Haynes (Andy), Tryon, N.C.; one sister, Lucy Ponder (Dyche), Stanford, Ky.; five grandchildren, Bevin Holmberg (Aaron), Falmouth, Maine; Robert A. Haynes, E. Norriton, Pa.; Morgan S. Haynes (Renee), Durham, N.C.; Arden Strider, St. Augustine, Fla.;  Aaron Strider, Wilmington, N.C.; and one great-grandchild, Strider James Holmberg, Falmouth, Maine.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Tryon United Methodist Church, with Pastor Phil Hurst officiating.  A reception will follow.

Memorials may be made to Tryon United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 897, Tryon, N.C. 28782 or to Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, 130 Forest Glen Drive, Columbus, N.C. 28722.

An online guest register is available at www.mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com.

McFarland Funeral Chapel
Tryon, N.C